Promises Inked
by Spunky0ne
Summary: As the Gotei scrambles to recapture Aizen after the quincy war, the traitor escapes, taking Renji with him. As Renji recovers from his wounds, thinking that it is Tetsuya Kuchiki caring for him, Aizen hatches a dangerous new plan...but is it a good one or an evil one? Can it be both?...yaoi, mpreg...Aizen/Renji, Ichigo/Byakuya, Kisuke/Tetsuya
1. Dead King's Promise

**Promises Inked**

 **By Spunky0ne**

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 **(A little shout out to Sariniste, who is still waiting for a chapter of To Die For, which I promise I will finish asap! :) But it's all because of a question by a reader, who said she loves Renji having some royal blood. This wicked plot bunny upended me and I can't think of anything else at the moment. The force is strong with this one, so I will be updating quickly. Enjoy! Love to all, Spunky)**

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 _ **During the chaos of the end of the quincy war, Aizen eludes capture by placing an illusion upon Byakuya's innocent cousin, Tetsuya, convincing everyone that Tetsuya is Aizen. Tetsuya is placed in Muken, while Aizen abducts a badly wounded Renji. Even once Tetsuya is rescued by Ichigo, who sees through the illusion, Tetsuya is deeply traumatized and can only communicate a strange fixation on Aizen mentioning a contract made in the king's blood. Mystified, Byakuya seeks answers in the soul king's archive and learns that the original soul king had a black marking on his palm, which, he wrote, would reveal his heir…yaoi, mpreg…Aizen/Renji, Ichigo/Byakuya, Kisuke/Tetsuya**_

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 **Chapter 1: Dead King's Promise**

The muffled sound of shouting voices throbbed painfully in Sosuke Aizen's head as the heavy tremors of Ywach's dying reiatsu pulsed and radiated around his fallen form, pressing down against his damaged body. He was sure that, in such a condition, he shouldn't have been able to move.

 _But there is no way I can allow myself to be recaptured._

His mind went back for a moment to the moment when the quincy king had come to him in Muken and asked him for his allegiance.

 _Of course, I did the equivalent of laughing in his face. There was no way that I was going to receive his mark on my soul._

 _I already have a marking of my own._

 _Yes, I never realized until Ywach bent and whispered the insulting answer in my ear. The answer was right in front of me all along, but I dismissed it. I almost killed him…_

Aizen's heart skittered in his chest and waves of dizziness left him barely able to crawl. But he clawed at the ground determinedly, favoring the stump of one arm that was left and using his good arm and shaky legs to drag himself deeper into the brush as the roar and heavy smoke of fires raged around him and panicked soldiers scoured the area for signs of survivors.

 _I will have to come back for him. I would look for him now, but there is too much of a risk of being found. I only have the strength to set perhaps one good illusion, then I am sure to be depleted. No, escape must be my priority. I will return for him._

So decided, the scourge of Soul Society made his way into a copse of smoldering trees, carefully avoiding the searchers and feeling a touch of relief that darkness was coming. He knew well that he was leaving a bloody trail in the dirt and was pleased at hearing water gurgling somewhere nearby. He crawled towards the sound, panting and shaking harder, but driven by the powerful pain in his chest and the quincy king's words that repeated in his head.

" _You will see, Sosuke. Soon now, it will happen, just as I told you. I will kill him and steal the power he possesses…power you were careless enough to overlook. Power that you clumsily tried to kill, yourself. You were blind, so very blind Sosuke Aizen. It amuses me that you never suspected."_

 _He reached down and laid a hand on Aizen's chest, where the hogyoku had rested, feeling the burning scorch mark left behind upon its disintegration._

" _Wait here now. I will come back to you when he is dead, and I will strip this power from you as well. Enjoy the darkness. It is all you will know when I am truly finished with the two of you."_

Aizen pulled himself into a seated position at the water's edge and cupped a hand to gather water from the large stream to cool his face. His hand then slipped down to his chest and he peeled back the edges of his bloodstained shirt to reveal the bold black marking that was still slowly forming.

 _I was stymied when the hogyoku suddenly stopped speaking to me as Ywach began his conquest. Then, I was shocked when I heard the souls inside the orb scream as the hogyoku began to swell with power. It finally burst, and I wondered as it did, if I was going to die. I am certainly mortal now. And that place, where the hogyoku was, is changing. First, it was a bloody mess, then a spot of bold black appeared in the center. Now, it begins to spread outward. I need to know what this means. I need to…_

Aizen paused as a soft male voice suddenly reached him.

"There now, Renji-san. Your reiatsu is stable. You will be all right. Just, please rest now and let me watch over you."

 _Tetsuya Kuchiki?_

Taking a steadying breath, Aizen forced his fiercely aching body into motion, proceeding cautiously and letting his reiatsu swell the smoke around them. Tetsuya coughed and looked around warily as Aizen used his ability to blend in, so as not to be seen.

"Is someone there?" Tetsuya asked softly.

"C-careful," Renji groaned, "Aizen…th…the bastard is loose around here somewhere."

"Renji-san," Tetsuya chided him, pushing the redhead back down gently as he tried to sit up, "you were badly injured. You will not be able to stand. Please lie down."

Renji mumbled something unintelligible, then went limp in Tetsuya's arms. The young, blue-eyed man smiled warmly in response.

"Let me look after you. The fighting is over, Renji-san. The quincy king is dead. We will all be starting anew."

He brushed his hands against the muscular warrior's face, using his healing reiatsu to send Renji into a deep, restorative sleep, but before he could fully invoke the power, Renji pushed his hand away.

"Y-you okay?" he asked, shivering.

"You are asking about me?" Tetsuya mused, shaking his head, "I am fine. Our clan is safe in the enclosure. I will have you evacuated there to recover. Just…"

"Wh-where's fleabag?" Renji chuckled as he began to drop off, "s-standing guard?"

Tetsuya's smile faded slightly, and he touched a hand to the torn cloth that covered his breast, over his heart.

"The battle was a difficult one," the young man answered.

"You were hurt?" Renji asked worriedly.

"I told you, I am fine," Tetsuya insisted.

"No, you're not," Renji said, reeling, "Tetsuya, you were hurt too. How are you healing me?"

Tetsuya's smile warmed again and he looked down to where his palm rested on his chest.

"When I am injured, Arashi returns to my body. He is inside me, strengthening me. I will be fine. Please, my friend, you must sleep now. I will protect you until help arrives."

Renji returned Tetsuya's smile and reached out to capture his hand and give it a squeeze.

"Okay, I'll stop givin' you trouble, but it's just because we're friends."

Tetsuya nodded, watching as Renji finally drifted off and his cinnamon colored eyes closed.

"We are the best of friends. Your kindness is a gift, Renji-san."

Tetsuya fell quiet, his eyes focusing on Renji's calmer sleeping face, and his reiatsu radiating a soft blue light around them. Aizen crept forward, his mind working quickly.

 _Perfect._

 _I know what to do._

He moved in behind Tetsuya, using little flickers of his reiatsu to confuse Tetsuya's senses. Byakuya's cousin breathed slowly, gazing down at his injured friend and beginning to speak again.

"So many have died," he whispered, "and more are brought to the enclosure who are horribly injured. The quincy king wanted all of us to die. Such hatred, Renji-san. Such hatred that makes me afraid, like I was those long years ago. When hatred left me without my parents and locked in a cage for my childhood. I am glad that you and Ichigo-san prevailed."

"Well," Aizen intoned, smirking as he wrapped his power around Tetsuya's slender form and froze him in place, "they did have some help, after all."

Tetsuya stiffened, and his blue eyes rounded in shock.

"You!" he gasped, struggling to break free of the odd hold that the elder man seemed to have over his body.

"Yes," Aizen said smoothly, moving to sit in front of the paralyzed shinigami, "we know each other well, don't we? At one time, you and I were…quite amicable, weren't we, Tetsuya?"

He glanced down at Renji.

"Don't touch him!" Tetsuya demanded, straining against Aizen's power.

He shivered as Aizen turned back and looked directly into his eyes.

"I will not harm Renji," he said, matter-of-factly, "and Tetsuya, as long as you cooperate, I will not harm you."

"Why should I believe anything you say?" Tetsuya asked, his tone conveying more hurt than anger, "I am sure that our friendship meant far more to me than it ever did to you. How much did you laugh at me for playing right into your hands? Did you enjoy taking advantage of all of our trust in you?"

Aizen moved closer, sending a chill down Tetsuya's spine as he wrapped his good arm around his captive former friend and spoke into his ear. Tetsuya tensed under his arm, but had no power to move.

"I took no pleasure in hurting you," he confessed, the touch of his warm breath making Tetsuya's pale earlobe and cheeks blush, "You suffered your own atrocities at their hands, didn't you, Tetsuya?"

Tetsuya gazed back at him, his heart pounding.

"They put you in a cage before," Aizen went on, looking more deeply into his captive's eyes and bringing his power in around them.

A little flicker in his reiatsu nearly gave the noble a chance to break free, but Aizen gritted his teeth and raised his power aggressively until Tetsuya collapsed in front of him and laid on his back, staring up at Aizen and panting harshly.

"Are you afraid of me?" Aizen asked, noting the barely controlled shaking in Tetusya's slender limbs.

"You are a l-liar and a murderer!" Tetsuya gasped.

"Yes," Aizen said, touching his face with an odd gentleness, "but you have some unusual insight into why, don't you, Tetsuya?"

"I don't know what you mean!" Tetsuya exclaimed, "Let me go!"

He sucked in a shocked breath and nearly loosed a scream of terror as Aizen's illusion wrapped around him, taking him instantly back in time. He found himself crouched on the icy floor of a dirty cell, dressed in stinking rags and clenching at the bars. Aizen approached in slow, measured steps, arriving at the cell door and pausing to look down at him.

"Why are you doing this?" Tetsuya managed, his voice breaking and his body quaking visibly, "What have I ever…?"

"It is not that you did anything," Aizen explained, "I only did this to get you to focus. Listen to me carefully, Tetsuya. I am going to release your hands only, and you are to heal my arm."

He shattered the illusion around Tetsuya, then paused, making a sound of pain as his insides clenched. To his surprise, the younger man scrambled onto his knees and wrapped an arm around him, lowering him to the ground. Tetsuya looked down at him anxiously, giving the traitor time to recover himself. He wrapped a hand around Tetsuya's wrist and glared at him warningly.

"I am injured, but I can still kill you easily," he assured the hesitant noble, "Now, heal my arm…and do not dare try anything, or I promise you, you will wish that I would kill you!"

Tetsuya glanced at Renji's still unconscious form, then looked back at Aizen and nodded briefly. He reached out slowly, capturing the stump of an arm, then he laid his other hand on top of the damaged limb, calling his power into use. Aizen watched with an approving expression as the limb began to glow, as from within, then very gradually repaired itself.

"You are a talented healer," he complimented the young man, "You always were. I think you wanted to be a healer, but Byakuya understood just how much those horrid people hated you, and he knew that you would never survive without being able to fight back."

"Byakuya-sama did not just teach me to fight back. He also taught me the right way to fight back…how, where, when, and how much. I was not taught to be vengeful."

"No," Aizen said, reaching out to caress Tetsuya's flushed cheek with his fingers, "you were too broken by what you suffered in Itamigiri, weren't you?"

"How would you know what I suffered?" Tetsuya asked, turning his head away in reaction.

Aizen's smile sent fresh chills down Tetsuya's neck and back.

"Why, I was there, of course."

Tetsuya's eyes widened.

"You were there?" he asked in a surprised tone, "When?"

Tetsuya's breath caught and his face went white as Aizen's power flickered, and his face was overwritten with another that the younger man instantly recognized.

"The healer, Nobu?" Tetsuya mused numbly, "The one who…?"

He shook his head in disbelief, earning a little laugh and a pat on the cheek from Aizen.

"I was younger then, but I was able to perform necessary healing."

"But, why were you there?" Tetsuya demanded, "And why…?"

"I was there to learn more about you, of course," Aizen revealed.

"About me?" Tetsuya repeated disbelievingly.

"Well, it was more about your ability to have children," Aizen confessed, "You see, at the time, I had a lover, one who I would have…well, you get the idea."

"Who?" Tetsuya inquired, his hand still holding Aizen's newly remade one, even though the healing was done.

"Oh, that doesn't bear talking about," Aizen chuckled, "Suffice it to say that I examined you and learned what I needed to know, then faked the good healer, Nobu's death as you escaped the prison."

"But, you helped me?" Tetsuya asked, looking confused, "You know that Naoki and I would never have even made it out of our cell, if you had not killed the guard who was about to attack us."

Aizen shrugged.

"You helped me. I helped you," he said nonchalantly, "And as you have now, again, helped me, I will show you some mercy. With the Gotei about to commence a manhunt for me, I need a means of keeping them from knowing I have escaped. Simply put, they need to think they have me. And while healing me, you mingled our reiatsu, giving me the chance to show you a power that no one else has ever seen."

"No!" Tetsuya exclaimed, trying to scramble away, only to have Aizen's arm wrap around him and bring him back against Aizen's chest.

He was instantly distracted by a hair raising thought.

 _The hogyoku!_

 _It is…?_

"Ah, you noticed," Aizen said smoothly, wrapping the layers of his rising power around Tetsuya and binding him in place.

"Stop!" Tetusya objected, "Don't!"

"One of my abilities," Aizen explained calmly, "is that if I mingle my reiatsu with another's, I can cause our images to switch."

"You are going to…?" Tetsuya realized, struggling wildly as he realized, "No! Don't do it! Don't!"

"Shh," Aizen soothed him, watching as Tetsuya winced, and a little bit of his reiatsu emerged.

A bit also emerged from the body of the traitor. The two clusters left their masters and each closed in on the other man.

"Don't worry," Aizen assured him, as Tetsuya watched the approach of the reiatsu and screamed in horror, "It will not harm you, and it will not last very long, as I am injured and my powers are not full strength."

He continued to observe calmly as Tetsuya's writhing form was encased in the reiatsu, while Tetsuya's reiatsu wrapped around Aizen and sank into him. His smile widened as he watched Tetsuya's body change into a perfect copy of his, while his body mimicked Tetsuya's flawlessly.

"Fascinating," he mused, his hand reaching out and shocking Tetsuya into unconsciousness, "It worked better than I expected. I will apologize to you, because I know that being in Muken will terrify you. So, I have made you seem comatose. They will bind you, but you will be mostly unaware. I would choose someone else, but I have things that I must do. I thank you, Tetsuya Kuchiki, for showing me that there are some very decent people in our worlds…perhaps, people worth saving? How surprised would you be if you heard me say that?"

He looked around as voices rose up nearby and two Kuchiki family attendants rushed into view. Aizen turned and smiled in Tetsuya's gentle manner.

"Koji, Torio," he greeted them in Tetsuya's voice, reflecting the young man's image over his own, "I am glad to see you."

"You found Renji-san!" Torio exclaimed, "Byakuya-sama has been worried."

"Renji is fine," Aizen assured them, "Please go and tell my cousin. I will wait here and continue to take care of Renji."

He shook his head as Koji began to object.

"Help is coming shortly," he said firmly, "Go and show Byakuya-sama the way to us."

"Oh, of course," Koji stammered, blinking and backing away.

The two attendants started to turn away, then paused as Aizen spoke again in Tetsuya's voice.

"Please, will you take _him_?" he asked, indicating Tetsuya's unconscious form, "I found him near Renji-san. He is out cold. I couldn't wake him."

"You found Sosuke Aizen!" Torio exclaimed.

Aizen nodded.

"Take him and go to inform Byakuya-sama. I will be along."

Aizen watched, his smile turning smug as Tetsuya was lifted and carried away. As soon as the two were out of sight, he used a kido spell to raise Renji off the ground. Taking a breath, he opened a passage into the precipice world, and, carefully concealing them in an illusion, he stole away into the darkness.


	2. In Darkness and in Light

**Chapter 2: In Darkness and in Light**

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 **(Thanks going out to Aizenfan6969 (More will be along.), Kittykins (I try to tame her, but she keeps getting away from me and jumping into new stories!), Lilbit1016 (Aw, you're sweet!), DeAmonQuEen (Thanks so much for the inspiration and enthusiastic support. I am working on updates for this and the other one I know you're waiting for, Crimson Sakura, so those will be along.), Yukino76 (Tetsuya will be imprisoned for a bit, but something will be going on while he is there...), Wildwind13 and Willow (Thanks a million!), Sariniste (Yup, Aizen and Tetsuya have platonic history that's important to the story. So glad you're reading along. I will eventually finish the next chapter of To Die For. I promise! In the meantime, I will be updating this frequently, since the muse is working with me here.), Lovers45 (You've got it!), TMP3475 (Yeah, Aizen can be a jerk at times, but there is something to his connection to Tetusya that will come into play.), SesshomaruFreak (Yes, Aizen has Renji and a wicked plan!), TheWeirdBlond (Ah, the catch is Ichigo. If Ichigo was to see Aizen pretending to be Tetsuya, he would know. Also, certain people might see through, because of their past with Aizen. He has to be cautious.), and YaoiAnimeHunter (Glad to have you along!) Enjoy the new chapter! Love, Spunky)**

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Sosuke Aizen's footsteps echoed softly in the confines of the corridor he passed through, his hand laid on Renji's unconscious and levitated body to guide its direction. He noticed everything as he walked, the slightly oozing walls and the floor that made his footsteps echo, the little scents that seemed to radiate everywhere around him, after the dull, musty scent of the prison left his nostrils. Gone too was the icy coldness that had seemed to sink down into his core. The thought gave him an unusual moment of pause as he recalled Tetsuya's terror at the prospect of being put in such a place as Muken.

 _He should remain unconscious, although the mingling of our reiatsu might produce a temporary connection between our inner worlds. Hmm…_

"Kyoka Suigetsu," he said quietly, even those soft tones repeating eerily in the corridor.

The air in front of him shimmered, and a moment later, Aizen found himself facing a very tall, black haired man with startlingly lovely green eyes.

"Master."

"I am curious," Aizen explained, "what is the effect of having changed places with Tetsuya? Are you noticing any connections while we have power over him?"

Kyoka Suigetsu nodded.

"Our power has caused a disruption in his inner world. Looking through, I can see it is stormy, and I feel destruction is threatening. Even if his inner world does not completely destabilize, I sense great turbulence in his mind. I believe it is close to shattering him."

"Hmm."

The spirit gave him a curious look.

"Master?"

"Yes?"

"What is that expression? You…care about this man?"

"Why do you ask me a question like that?" Aizen inquired, frowning, "You know I will not indulge in things that will weaken me. Tetsuya is a means to an end. However, there is simply no reason to cause him unnecessary pain, especially when it could threaten our plans by exposing what we've done too soon."

"I see."

Aizen shot the spirit a disapproving look.

"Go into his inner world, if you can. If not, at least try to stabilize it. Do what you have to."

"Yes, master," the spirit replied, his body beginning to shimmer and fade.

"And," Aizen added, "if it begins to overwhelm him, kill him quickly and painlessly."

"Even if it means exposing you too soon?" the spirit asked, tilting his head in askance.

Aizen met his eyes squarely and a look of understanding passed between them.

"You know he is the last connection I have to that old thing that was once my carefree life," he said solemnly, "He has been resilient to this point, surpassing even my expectations, formed when I found him in the prison long ago."

"Master," the spirit said, his body ghostly as it hovered in the midst of passage back into the wicked shinigami's inner world, "may I ask? Are you ever going to tell him?"

Aizen froze for a moment, his mind going back to the blue eyed woman who had been Tetsuya's mother.

" _You know who I am," he said softly, his power radiating warningly as he looked into the frightened eyes of the lady prisoner who sat on the examination table in front of him._

" _Of course I know you," the woman whispered, "We were close once, Sosuke. We were…family."_

" _Yes."_

" _I know you can't help me escape. After losing Takao, after watching him die in front of us, I am broken. I feel the life seeping out of my veins, Sosuke. It will not be long, now. He will need someone."_

 _Aizen's eyes narrowed._

" _I cannot take Tetsuya with me," he said, shaking his head, "You know that he would be a liability. The boy has been powerless for too long. Even if he has powers beyond healing, if I focus on him, the ones who destroyed our family will never pay. I am going to make them pay."_

 _The woman's eyes filled with tears, but she managed a short nod._

" _I want them to pay too. I do," she agreed, "But I want more for Tetsuya to survive. Sosuke, the greatest revenge we could have is for him to realize his full powers. Think of yours, your mother's…my sister's. This power runs through our family and it is formidable. They tried to kill it, but you and Tetsuya are still alive! Take him with you, Sosuke. Take him with you or just see that someone does protect him. He has great potential. That is the reason that we were betrayed and brought here. Soon, you and Tetsuya will be all who are left of the old blood. Are you going to let it die with you?"_

Aizen drew in a slow breath, Kiko Kuchiki's voice still hissing in his ears.

"Master?" Kyoka Suigetsu breathed, staring.

Aizen's brown eyes narrowed.

"I have changed my mind."

"About what?"

"About _him_ ," Aizen answered sternly, "There is a line in him that must be crossed to unlock his full potential. Watch him, watch his inner world. But…do not help him."

The spirit's eyes widened and his mouth opened, then closed again.

"He is the last of your kin. Do you not care about your own cousin?" he asked quietly.

"I do," Aizen confessed, "That is why I am doing this. Tetsuya has divine potential, but he has been broken. Pushed to the brink, we will see if he will give up and die…or if he will evolve."

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Ichigo sat quietly on the ground, only a few feet away from Ywach's collapsed body, ignoring the healer who worked on his injuries as he watched the captain commander, Kisuke, Mayuri and Byakuya create a heavy seal around the corpse.

"At least two of us senior officers need to remain here, guarding until Squad Zero arrives to take him," Shunsui warned his companions.

"With all of the injuries, that barely leaves us with protection against the quincies' desperation attacks," Byakuya said, frowning.

"Well, at least we don't have to also watch out for Aizen," Kisuke said in a relieved tone.

"That was a real stroke of luck that your cousin came across him, and that he was unconscious, which made him much easier to deal with," Shunsui added.

The captain commander noticed immediately the regretful look that came over Ichigo's face for a moment.

"What's the matter, Ichigo?" Shunsui asked, "Are you feeling some sympathy for the man?"

"Eh, no, not really," Ichigo answered in a conflicted tone, "I don't know. I just…don't get why he did what he did."

"There was obviously something in it for him," Mayuri concluded, "or he wouldn't have risked himself protecting you and that red-haired monkey."

"How dare you refer to my vice captain in such a way!" Byakuya snapped, his reiatsu flickering.

"Well, you probably shouldn't go throwing stones, since you've called him that or worse on occasion, yourself," Kisuke chuckled.

"Renji is a warrior, who has been injured in the fight to protect Soul Society. He fought valiantly, despite it being against a man that would have had no trouble leveling all of us together," Byakuya said heatedly, "one who was only defeated because of Ichigo, Renji and Aizen's combined strength.

"And even that wouldn't have been enough if Uryu hadn't shot him with that special arrow, so that my final attack could get through," Ichigo added.

"No one's saying that Renji's not powerful," Shunsui said in a placating tone, "Come on, now. Byakuya, you should go and meet your cousin. As you see, Ichigo is being cared for and we've got this until you get back."

"Yes," Byakuya agreed, "I do need to check in with Tetsuya. His attendant reported that he was involved in a fight that became so vicious, that Arashi was called back into his body to sustain him. He will need his reiatsu carefully restored and his injuries healed."

"At least, it seems like Renji is going to be all right," Ichigo said in a relieved tone, "But, why don't I go with you?"

"Ichigo, you have just been healed," Byakuya objected, "You need to be resting."

"I think we all need a good nap after this," Shunsui snickered.

"You shouldn't go alone anyway," Ichigo said, standing slowly.

He made a sound of surprise as Byakuya flash stepped to his side, catching him around the waist as he wobbled slighty.

"You fool!" the noble chided him, "Lie back down and stay here. I have two attendants to protect me. I do not need a…"

Byakuya paused for a moment, his mind suddenly replaying the colder things he had said to Ichigo in the recent past.

 _It may be that he is doing something foolish, but Ichigo was there for me when I was at death's door. He took on the burden of my responsibility and he followed through, never giving up until he won. I owe him once more, but it is a debt well beyond what I can repay, even given this new life by Tenjiro's healing._

"Hey," Ichigo said bracingly, smiling at the noble, "I'm okay. Really. You don't have to hold me on my feet."

Byakuya took a steadying breath, his heart fluttering strangely in his chest. He forced his hands to let go and cleared his throat softly, well aware that the other men were watching them curiously.

"My apologies," he said solemnly, "I forgot who I was speaking to. You are not likely to listen to argument, so you may come along, if you wish. My attendants have brought my spirit steed for us to ride."

"You've got a spirit steed?" Ichigo asked, "Like Arashi?"

The two men turned and started towards the waiting attendant, continuing their conversation as they mounted and began to follow the attendants to Tetsuya's location.

"My steed, Ikazuchi, is not exactly like Arashi," Byakuya explained, indicating the lovely paint stallion in front of them, "He does understand our words and he can send impressions of his thoughts, so I know what he is communicating."

He held out a hand and helped Ichigo onto the stallion's back, then climbed up behind him and touched his heels to the stallion's sides, bringing him to a fast walk.

"Arashi is actually a spirit familiar," he went on, "one that emerged from Tetsuya's body once, when our lives were threatened. Arashi is an extension of Tetsuya's soul, and can use his powers. Ikazuchi cannot use mine."

"That's pretty amazing Arashi can use Tetsuya's powers," Ichigo commented.

"It is an unusual gift," Byakuya said, looking into the trees around them, "Kisuke Urahara has theorized that he exists because Tetsuya was not strong enough to protect himself, but his will was so powerful that it solidified and emerged in Arashi's form. There is much we don't know for certain about him. Even Tetsuya does not know. Neither do Arashi, or Tetsuya's zanpakuto spirit."

Ikazuchi's ears perked suddenly, and he came to a stop as Torio and Koji reappeared in front of them.

"What is it?" Byakuya asked quickly.

"It's Tetsuya, sir!" Koji exclaimed, "He and Renji are gone!"

"They are gone?" Byakuya said, frowning and sliding down off his horse's back with Ichigo on his heels, "Show me!"

The attendants led them on for a short time, stopping in a clearing, near the edge of a running stream.

"You can see that Renji was thrown here," Torio pointed out, "There's a lot of burnt vegetation."

"And there are markings in the dirt here, where his body was and Tetsuya was next to him."

Byakuya nodded and studied the dirt more closely.

"Aizen's blood and reiatsu are here," he noted, "This must have been where he crawled and collapsed before Tetsuya found him. Torio, take an image of the scene."

"Yes, sir."

Ichigo followed as Byakuya moved about, examining the area carefully.

"You see anything that says where they might have gone?" Ichigo asked.

"No," Byakuya answered in a mystified tone, "I do not see signs that they were attacked. I also do not sense quincy reiatsu. Aizen was incapacitated and Ywach dead, so…"

"So, it doesn't look like anything bad happened to them," Ichigo concluded.

"No, however, it does not make sense that I can find no trace at all of them leaving. There's burns and markings, marks where Aizen dragged himself, where Tetsuya knelt. There should be a sign of what direction they went."

"You think Tetsuya needed to leave, for some reason, and was worried about being followed?"

"He knew we were coming," Byakuya mused, rubbing his chin, "But, I suppose that something could have convinced him to rush Renji back to the clan enclosure. If Renji suddenly worsened, he might do this. He would then cover their tracks so that no one could follow them to the ones being protected in the compound."

"So, do you wanna go and look there?" Ichigo asked.

Byakuya nodded.

"I think it is all we can do."

He helped Ichigo onto the stallion's back and turned them in the direction of the Kuchiki family's evacuation site.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji stirred softly, groaning at the instant splinters of pain that assaulted his head at the motion.

"F-fuck!"

He felt the touch of a soft, slender hand and smelled the mingled scents of flowers and fine leather.

"Tetsuya?"

"Yes," his friend's gentle voice intoned, "You need to lie still. Please don't try to get up."

Renji took steadying breaths and squinted and blinked to clear his eyes. Tetsuya's form came into focus at his bedside, and he quickly scanned the room they were in.

"Where are we?" he mumbled dazedly.

"There were quincies coming," Tetsuya explained, "I didn't want to move you, but they were going to find us. I would have taken you to the family enclosure, but I received a message from my cousin, ordering me to take you into hiding at once."

"Into hiding?" Renji repeated, rubbing a painful bump on the back of his head and wincing, "Why do I need to be hiding?"

Tetsuya let out a soft breath and closed his eyes, bowing his head slightly.

"Byakuya explained to me that the quincies are enraged because you, Ichigo, Uryu and Sosuke Aizen together killed the king. He also said…that they found and executed Ichigo and Uryu."

Renji's eyes rounded and his face went white.

"Wh-what?"

"That isn't all," Tetsuya said, opening his eyes and looking directly into Renji's, "The quincies have managed to launch several assassination attempts against the remaining Gotei members. None have been successful as yet, but the message is clear. The quincies have lost the war for control over the royal realm, but they have orders and intent to take what revenge they can. Byakuya ordered me to keep you here, to fully heal you and to protect you until he sends for us."

"W-well, where are we, exactly?" Renji asked weakly, "Is this the living world? One of Kisuke's hideouts?"

"It is a private family retreat," Tetsuya explained, "Byakuya had to make sure that we would not be found. I am…so sorry for your losses. I know you were close to Ichigo and Uryu."

"Yeah," Renji managed, his eyes tearing, "Damn! Orihime couldn't even heal them?"

"She was still unconscious," Tetsuya said quietly, "Their bodies had dissipated by the time she woke."

Tetsuya watched with sympathetic eyes as a large tear ran down Renji's flushed cheek. He reached up and brushed it away, then gave the redhead a sad smile.

"Is there anything I can bring you?" he asked softly, "I have healed the worst of your wounds, well…except for…"

"Except for what?" Renji asked, stiffening.

Tetsuya hesitated.

"Except for _what_?" Renji snapped, "Tetsuya, what's wrong with me?"

"You…injured your back in the fighting," Tetusya answered in a rougher, more emotional voice, "I tried to heal it, but it was infused with too much enemy reiatsu. I don't know. Maybe a better healer will be able to mend it. But, for now…"

"I'm crippled?" Renji hissed, throwing the blankets off and glaring down at his legs as he tried to move them, "WHAT THE FUCK!"

Focused on his legs, the redhead missed the evil little smile that rose instantly to his friend's lips.

"It will be all right, Renji," the false Tetsuya promised, "I will look after you."


End file.
